


(Dad) Bolson’s Cooking Club

by Yormp



Category: Linked Universe - Fandom, The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms
Genre: Hateno Village, No Beta we die without remorse then come back later with a pie to say sorry, Wild Dad Bolson™️
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-07
Updated: 2020-06-07
Packaged: 2021-03-04 06:34:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,503
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24589153
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Yormp/pseuds/Yormp
Summary: The Links haven’t been near Hateno at all, not even when they first found Wild, so when they come back Wild is going to have a little explaining to do.
Relationships: Link & Bolson (Legend of Zelda), Slight friendship moments between other character, Wild & Bolson
Comments: 9
Kudos: 205





	(Dad) Bolson’s Cooking Club

**Author's Note:**

> Cheers!

There’s a million things Wild  _ isn’t _ thinking about when he brings eight other Links to Hateno. Some of these things consist of things like how he hasn’t been there in months or that only Zelda knows where he’s been. He doesn’t think about the fact that he’s missed quite a few things that he shows up to every week. Wild doesn’t think about the fact that the only days Bolson doesn’t hangout by his house are Thursdays and Mondays. He’s so caught up in the chaos of his traveling companions that he doesn’t even notice a lack of Bolson by his home. 

A shocked “you have a house” comes from Wind, and a sarcastic “I expected him to live in the trees” from Legend makes sure that he forgets about these things. 

Wild is leading the way across his little bridge and to his house, and he just snorts as an amused reaction. It’s easy to smile in Hateno. 

Once they’ve all crossed the bridge Wild ushers them into his little home and quickly puts some of his things up. He gives them a quick warning to not touch anything they could break, which to Wild means  _ basically everything _ , before going outside to start lunch. Nothing more difficult than some seafood skewers. 

There’s the clicking and clacking of hooves coming across the bridge to the house. Wild looks up to find Zelda walking her white horse, that he had named Herron for some reason, up to the house. She smiles and greets Wild before taking Herron to the little stable towards the back. 

After the horse is settled in, for now, Zelda comes back over towards Wild and asks, “how long have you been back?”

“Just got here,” comes Wild’s almost wispy reply. 

“Well,” Zelda starts, “you ought to go pay a few people a visit.” She’s settled on the ground next to Wild as she says this. “I may or may not have forgotten to inform a few people about where you’ve been,” she says a bit guiltily.

Wild huffs at this as he picks up the seafood skewers for the rest of the Links. He gives Zelda what could be called a moderately amused glance.

“Oh- well! I’ve been busy too, mister,” she hastily replies before hopping up from the ground and brushing any dust off. 

“Who didn’t you tell,” he asks. 

“Well, that’s really the thing, I haven’t told many people. Purah and Robbie know, of course,” she begins as Wild pushes the door open with his foot. “I haven’t been to Kakariko in a while, Impa and Paya likely have no idea.”

The others give Wild quite a few amused looks when he comes in tailed by a blonde who, many of them assume is his Zelda, is talking his ear off. Wild is quickly distracted by Wind coming over and almost knocking the food from the plates he’d put it on. 

“Sidon knows, I’m sure, and I was in the desert the other day so I informed Riju when she asked where you’d been. Oh, I don’t believe Bolson knows. Which is a dreadful thought, I know how close you two are, but I haven’t been over here by the house much since you’d gone and- Link?” 

Wild, seemingly trying to pry the smaller hero in blue off him, hasn’t been paying attention for a short while. At least he got the food on the table beforehand Wind could attempt to climb him like a tree. By this point, the others had stopped staring and all grabbed some food. Leaving Wild to deal with his Zelda and Wind on his own. 

Once he’s freed himself of the little pirate he turns to Zelda and signs,  _ Could you repeat that? _

Zelda just gives a little nod, “well, I haven’t told Bolson. Which may be a slight issue seeing as it’s been months and you two are kind of close.” 

Wild seems to pale at this. Bolson. Oh Hylia, he’s been gone for months and Bolson hasn’t had the slightest clue where he’s gone. With Zelda gone that means he’s been taking care of the yard. Dread worms it’s way into Wild’s gut. Talking to him is going to be a bit difficult this time. 

Wild lets out a groan. He never leaves for any longer than a week without sending word back, let alone months! 

Zelda awkwardly pats his back, “you’ll be fine. If anything he’ll be concerned and that’s about it!” When this comment doesn’t put Wild at ease she tries another angle, “he‘s got the cooking club tonight. Maybe you can show up there.”

Wild seems a bit more comfortable with that revelation, for whatever reason, food makes him a bit more confident. Confidence is one thing he’s going to need. 

Zelda makes a moderately confused expression as Wild quickly hugs her, whispering a thanks, before rushing out the door. Thanking her is the last thing she would expect, especially after saddling him with the conversation that’s bound to happen. A disappointed Bolson isn’t exactly fun. 

The door got left open in Wild’s rush out of the house to go buy supplies. Food would be how he made this easier. It has to be a dessert, a normal meal simply wouldn’t do with the cooking club meeting tonight. He’d have to make sure it was something Bolson would enjoy too.

Apple pie! That’s exactly what he needs to make. Simple enough but cherished so dearly when done correctly. Wild doesn’t make apple pie often, but he still knows how to make it well enough. 

A few hours pass and Zelda leaves to go visit Pura. Right as the others begin to get worried Wild comes back to the house with groceries. When Wind tries to steal a fresh apple from Wild’s supplies he only gets a light smack on his hand and a dismissively signed warning to not touch anything he just brought in. Shortly after, he leaves to go to his shed to grab some butter that he keeps chilled for whenever he might have the urge to bake a pie. 

While Wild is out of the house Warriors decides to be the first one to broach the subject. “What’s got Wild so riled up,” he asks. 

“His Zelda said something about a ‘Bolson’ guy,” says Wind. 

“Boys, this is really none of our business,” comes Time’s reply. None too soon either as Wild comes back in with a small container of chilled butter. 

The little conversations slowly pick back up as it seems Wild is too concentrated on making the best apple pie he’s ever made to overhear the gossip circle that’s forming. Twilight and Time rather not get involved so they migrate to the table that Wild is working hard at. He’s gotten the bottom layer of crust in and the filling, now he’s carefully putting on the top. It’s a crisscross pattern with bits of apple he’s cutting up to place on the top. 

“Thanks for keeping my flowers alive,” Twilight reads the pie aloud with a hint of amusement in his voice. Bits of apple rest on top of the crust to spell this out. 

Wild just nods in response before leaving again to go bake the pie. Time lets out a hum as Wild closes the door behind himself.

It’s a few hours later when Wild returns with the pie now in a delicately woven basket, covered with a light pink cloth. Many of the Links have gone off to see what all the little farming town has to offer. Those left in the house are either napping, writing things from their day down, or maintaining their weapons. Twilight is sitting at the table maintaining his sword, while Sky is asleep, and Time writes a letter for Malon. 

Wild quietly moves over to Sky and nudges him to wake him, it surprisingly only takes a few moments to get his awake. He motions for Sky to follow him before going over to Twilight and grabbing his wrist to pull him with. 

“Whoa, Cub, hold on a moment,” Twilight says in response to being suddenly rugged towards the door. Wild pauses and lets go as Twilight sets his sword down and wipes of his hands. He looks back over at Wild who now has the woven basket in one hand and an almost anxious look in his eyes. Twilight nods and says, “alright.” 

Wild goes just out the door before stopping next to where Hyrule is sitting with his legs hanging off the ledge. He only goes back a bit to shut the door after Sky makes his way out. 

Twilight gives Hyrule a questioning look, that he gets a shrug in return to, as Wild shifts on his feet for a few moments. They almost miss it when he speaks. It’s quiet and feels like it could easily be taken away on a breeze. 

“Would you three be willing to come to the cooking club with me,” says Wild. His voice shakes as he says it; his gaze can’t quite seem to meet their eyes. 

There’s a moment of relative shock between the three. Sky is wondering why Hyrule would be brought to a  _ cooking club _ of all things, Twilight is surprised that Wild is talking to so many people at once, and Hyrule is just shocked in general. After a few moments there’s a couple of nods given and an, “of course Cub!”

Wild lets out a sigh of relief, “Well come on, it starts soon.” There’s a bit more confidence to it this time, and he speaks a little bit louder. 

He leads them back across the bridge before stopping a bit and letting Twilight more or less walk in front of him. It makes guiding them a little harder but the club is taking place at the little fire near Bolson’s block home. There’s already a small crowd being directed by a pink clad man. 

Wild grips the basket a little tighter before going to sit down in the grass by the fire, placing the basket next to himself. The others sit down in different spots, with Twilight sticking closer to Wild than the others. There just in case Wild needs anything. 

The sun slowly sets as a few more people come and the club starts. Bolson and Wild make brief eye contact, the elder giving a look that says  _ we’ll talk after this. _ A good host shouldn’t interrupt their club for a mostly private matter, and Bolson would never willingly make Wild have that conversation in front of many other people. 

Rather than letting the anxiety eat at the little party of Links they chose to enjoy themselves for the couple of hours the club takes up. Hyrule found himself next to a quite lovely lady, actually. She tolerated him burning his first and only attempt and she tolerated him taste testing rather than cooking. Twilight managed to make something fairly decent with the help of Wild and Sky just fell asleep leaning on a tree a short ways in. 

Soon enough, the sun is hidden behind the horizon, and tension slowly seeps back into Wild. Twilight had gone off to “sleep” only for Wolfie to come and take his place, slowly leaning further and further into Wild’s lap. Whether it’s for comfort or because the wolf appears to be slowly drifting off doesn’t matter, Wild found himself running his fingers through the soft fur in the end anyways. 

People begin to clear out and Hyrule moves over to Wild and Wolfie with his little bit of left overs the lady left him with. As soon as everyone but the four Links have cleared out Bolson sets himself down next to Wild who moves his hand towards the pie basket and grips Wolfie a little tighter with his other. 

“Well, Link, I can’t say I didn’t think you were dead,” Bolson says. 

Wild shrinks a bit as he slowly moves the basket in front of him, his mild distress waking Wolfie. The movement brings Bolson’s attention to the basket. His eyebrows raise a bit and Wild nods. 

“A piece offering, eh,” Bolson jokes as he takes the cloth off the basket. It takes him a moment before he actually reads the pie and chuckles. 

Wild eases up a bit as Bolson chuckles. He lets go of Wolfie in favor of just petting him instead. Shaking hands shake a little less. His throat clears a bit. 

“Sorry,” comes the whispered apology and Bolson’s face seems to drop. 

“Young man,” Bolson starts, “I don’t want the Sorry until after I know where you’ve been, and only then if it was for something foolish. For now, though, we have an amazing looking apple pie to eat!” 

It’s that last line that finally makes Wild realise it. Bolson cares for him and is often slow to anger, there’s no way any anger would last long or be of a negative intent. A small smile creeps onto his face as he wakes Wolfie and gets up with Bolson to go inside the block house and have some pie. 

Hyrule had to wake up Sky, a struggle all on its own, and bring him inside. Bolson already has five plates of pie out with forks. The fifth plate doesn’t have a fork, and the reason becomes apparent when Bolson sets it down on the floor for Wolfie to eat. 

There’s laughing when Wild spots the little bit of pie on Wolfie’s nose. They spend quite a while there just enjoying friendly company and good pie. Eventually Hyrule brings a tired Sky back across the bridge to Wild’s house. 

When morning arrives, Wild finds himself sitting in a little cosy chair in Bolson’s house covered in a colorful blanket with Wolfie curled up next to him. 

He brings his gaze up to a table set with plates and a chair with its back facing the wall where Bolson is sitting. He looks contemplative, like he’s trying to find the words for something. 

Wild clears his throat, startling Wolfie into re-adjusting, to get Bolson’s attention. He can tell he’s successful when Bolson looks up and just sort of snorts at the bird’s nest Wild’s hair has become. That look shortly comes back before Bolson says, “to be completely clear, I’m not angry.” Wild nods. “I was just worried, kid.”

Wild just gives another nod before Bolson goes on with a cheeky grin, “I’ll be expecting another pie the next time I’ve got to keep your lawn pristine for months!” 

Wild just nods his head a final time before Bolson laughs, “good heavens, kid! I was kidding.”

There’s a thousand things Wild could be thinking about, but all that seems to be on his mind right now is how comfortable he is here and how much he’s going to miss this when he has to leave again. In the end, it’s easy to smile in Hateno, if only because of the people who make it home. 

**Author's Note:**

> I’m not sure how I feel about it but okay I guess. Hope you guys enjoyed it and are having a wonderful day, evening, or whenever you’ve read this.


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